When I first started this blog, I didn’t quite know where this would lead to, but I was pretty sure about one thing: that fancy cakes, whose preparation and the grocery shopping would equal a three-day marathon, wouldn’t get the biggest attention at this place. As much as I love a piece of Black Forest cake, the more elaborate recipes I left to my grandma thus far. Cause let’s be honest: the longer a dish takes to prepare, the more time there is for something to go wrong, which may occasionally seem a bit intimidating. Especially since the occasions for which it would make most sense to bake a giant layered cake usually are special moments where you don’t want something to go wrong ever.

Well, I’ve been wrong. While I would quietly and secretly still always opt for easy-to-prepare pastries (think of cinnamon buns, my all-time favorite!), I now believe that everyone should have that one recipe for the best friends birthday, the parents’ golden wedding anniversary or any other moment where you want to give the people you like best a special treat. When my sister set her mind on having an ombre cake (speak: a cake which is graduated in colour) with several layers for her 13th birthday last December, I realized that that was what I was missing. A basic, go-to cake recipe for special occasions. And oh boy, I’ve found it, cause this chocolate-caramel layer cake sure is yummy.

This layered cake is composed of a dense and moist chocolate sponge that actually resembles an American brownie, which is also why the cake is super rich and will easily feed two soccer teams. If you’re not a high-performance cookie eater, I would recommend, based on experience, to split one piece with your better half. And even if you are, sharing is probably the wiser decision as one piece will most likely cover the calorie requirement for an entire day. But it’s so worth it. It took me two attempts to create the perfect frosting as the first one, a basic white-chocolate buttercream, was simply too sugary given that the chocolate base is already quite sweet, so there was a spontaneous change of plan. This mascarpone-based frosting has a subtle caramel taste and a hint of vanilla and together with the chocolate sponge, it is the perfect combination. Thank you Monsieurmuffin for being my last-minute savior. Continue Reading…

If you’re one of these people, who are always scanning the menu for pancakes when going out for breakfast because you think that’s a treat you can’t make yourself, you can now be relieved: This recipe for buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes does not only take less than 10 minutes to prepare (excluding baking time, but that doesn’t really count as you can already try), it is also fool-proof. I guarantee you a real feeling of pride when serving these for breakfast, as they are in no way inferior to any pancakes you’ve tried in your favorite American diner and while eating, you’re going to feel like on vacation. Promise!

I’ve already tested far too many pancake recipes and have never been one hundred percent satisfied with one. You can already find one for basic pancakes with stewed apples here, but even though it serves its purpose very well, my updated version with oatmeal and buttermilk is the star, inspired by this recipe from the breakfast blog “Frühstückerinnen”. The recipe is perfect for a family christmas brunch. Even though the buttermilk pancakes taste best freshly baked, you can easily prepare them early in the morning and then warm them up in the oven for a minute or two in order to reduce the stress and make sure you can sit on the table together with your guests.

To start off, it’s December 14 and the recipe for these orange-scented gingerbread cookies is not only my very first Christmas cookie recipe this year, but in more than two years of The Sweetest Crumble. This is due because of two simple reasons, as I realized lately: Firstly, I would probably always choose a piece of cake over a cookie no matter what time of the year we have, because I’m just not that into the crisp texture.

Secondly, and more importantly, I’m just not that great of a cookie baker. While I love the decoration part, I seem to be subject to distraction and frequently carry burned baking sheets out of the oven. Maybe because I’m surprised about the short baking time each and every time – I don’t know. The other scenario is that for an unknown reason, star or heart shaped cookies that looked oh so beautiful on the parchment paper lose their shape and mingle to an unrecognizable mishmash by the time the kitchen timer rings. This is very frustrating and again leads to my love-hate relationships with baking cookies. Anyone here that feels the same? If I really want one, I usually buy some.

Having this said, I have to pat myself on the back all the more, because despite the obligatory first burned batch, these orange-scented gingerbread cookies turned out great. At this point I just hope your cookie boxes are already empty and you need a refill. Better late than never, they are the incarnation of Christmas feeling for me and have just the right balance of orange and usual suspects ginger, cinnamon and clove. In order to cope with my need for cookies with a softer texture, I varied the baking time and baked them only for about 7-9 minutes. Don’t worry if you think they are not done yet; they will still set a bit when they cool down.

Dear fellow cake fairies, savorers of coffee, tea and explorers of unknown places and spaces. As some of you might know, I’ve been to Hamburg last weekend. Although the beautiful port city has been on my bucked list for a longer time; I had good reason to finally make it work. Because: at the very end of my roller-coaster bus trip, there was Cynthia welcoming me. A dear friend I got to know during my exchange semester in Long Beach that I haven’t seen in years.

I’ve already been in Hamburg once when I was still a kid, but can’t remember a lot. Thus, even though we only had two full days, I was excited to get to know the city from a non-touristy point of view. The good thing is that both Cynthia and I share our love for food, so we basically fell from one café or restaurant into the next one. If I counted correctly, we have been to seven places in two days – quite a solid achievement.

Today I’d like to share a glimpse into my favorite one with you. A café (and restaurant) with a name that couldn’t be more suitable: “Das Leben isst schön”. We went for breakfast on Saturday and spent more than two hours in two fluffy velvet wing chairs that were just making it too hard for us to leave.

Happy First Sunday in Advent, everyone. Today I don’t have another Christmas cookie recipe for you, but one of my favorite cakes of all times, which is carrot cake. As long as I can remember, it was my go-to recipe in the form of muffins during fall and winter and I just love the dense, gooey texture and the hint of cinnamon in it. Topped off with some cream cheese frosting, this sweet treat is pure indulgence. And given the fact that one of the most popular veggies is hiding away in the name, it may or may not be easily consumed for breakfast and, if you turn a blind eye on it, regarded as one out of your five-a-day. I mean, we can’t deny the many good nutrients that come with carrots, right?

A few weeks back I had a conversation with some of my friends, who eat a vegan diet for quite some time, which gave me the final kick to try out a vegan cake for the first time (I once tried a banana bread last year, not sure if that also counts). Even though I also increasingly include vegan meals in my meal plan, this mostly happens accidentally. I try to cut down on any animal products, but I currently don’t want to restrict myself to a certain diet. While I experience it as quite easy to cook vegan without having to make any cut-backs regarding taste, I still had my doubts when it comes to baking. I don’t know about you, but even if I would not have been that skeptical, it was mostly the long ingredients lists on recipes that hindered me to finally give it a try.

However, in the end curiosity prevailed over skepticism and the result was a carrot cake that couldn’t have been any better and has approved the very critical test of various family members. Even deep-rooted omnivores wouldn’t have thought the cake was vegan and were convinced they were eating cheese frosting. The icing also was the part I was most curious about. I’ve already heard about cashew nuts serving as a replacement for cream cheese or cheeses in general (for instance here), but I honestly could not believe that it would come that close to the original taste.